Synchronizing system for alternating-current generators.



no. 668,429. Patented Feb. I9, |9ol. H. w. vonk.

SYNCHBONIZING SYSTEM FOR ALTEBNATING CURRENT GENERATOBS. (Applicationled Juno 16, 1899.) (lo ladel.)

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Patented Feb. I9 H. w. vom.v K SYNCHRONIZING SYSTEM FOR ALTERNATINGCURRENT GENEHTOBS.

(Application lecl June 18, 18949.) (No Modal.)

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'UNITED STATI-s PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT W. YORK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SYNCHRONIZING SYSTEM FOR ALTERNATlNG-CURRENT GENERATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 668,429, datedFebruary 19, 1901.

Application tiled June 16, 1899. Serial No. 720,766. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT W. YORK, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and Stateoi New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSynchronizing Systems for Alternating-Current Generators, of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

My invention relates to novel systems and arrangements for bringing analternatingcurrent generator into synchrcnism with one or more otheralternating-current generators and for causing such generators, when sosynchronized for supplying a given set of circuits, to divide up theload in any desired manner. In order to accomplish this result, Iprovide means for regulating the speed of the several driving-enginesfor the alternators, such means consisting, broadly, of a lever ofvariable length interposed in the valve mechanism of each engine, and,specifically, of devices for controlling the valve cut-ott oi' eachengine through the medium of a sliding block Within the rocker-arm uponthe rockshatt of the said engine, the position of the said sliding blockdetermining the width of the valve-opening in a manner well understood.f

In carrying out my invention I increase its utility by putting theartificial means forv moving the sliding block under the control of theswitchboard-operator. To this end I place upon the usual switchboard foran alternatiIig-curient-generating station a set of circuit-controllers,and I connect the said circuit-controllers with an electric motor ateach engine, which motor is adapted to move the sliding block back andforth with the rockerarm, and thus control the speed of the engine. Inplace of electric motors controlled by switches in the switchboard-roomI may employ air-motors or other translators of power, placing thecontrolling devices for the said motors at or near the switchboard. Incase it is not desirable to operate the block from a distance the samemay be moved by hand by a system of levers, a hand-Wheel, or any othersuitable device.

It has been heretofore a matter of considerable difliculty, oftenrequiring not a little time, to switch an alternating generator intocircuit with one or more generators already running, owing principallyto the fact that it is diiticult to regulate the speed of thecontrolling-engines within a reasonable degree of precision. More thanthat, it has been difiicult for the same reason to keep the generatorsat Work under substantially the same conditions of load, inasmuch as analternator connected with a lagging engine will maintain synchronismwith the other alternators not because the engine keeps it up toitswork, but because the other alternators will relieve it of a portion ofits load or will supply it with sufficient current to operate it atequal speed as a motor. In this way it may happen that an altern atinggen erator may shirk the greater part of its load while running at thesame speed as the other machines. The readings of the am meter may showthat such an alternator is supplying little or no current to the Workingcircuit, which will indicate the need of pushing forward thedriving-engine of the alternator until it holds the machine to its Work.

' I find that by using a sliding block such as I have described andattaching it to a connecting-rod operated from an eccentric on the mainengine-shaft I can regulate the speed of the engine with great certaintyand can keep it regulated and the load divided with comparative ease.When I combine With the excellencies of the regulator as such theadvantage of controllingit from the station-switchboard, I produce asynchronizing system which is in practice exceedingly sensitive andeXactin its operatioii,fully meeting all the requirements of actualservice.

By special devices not heretofore mentioned I make it possible for theswitchboard-operator to know Whether or not the sliding block is at oneend of its excursion or the other, representing the limits oi high andlow speed 'for the engine. I may also provide a means for indicating tothe switch-operator the actual position of the sliding block whether atthe extreme of its movement ornot. Knowing the position oi the slidingblock and in what direction it/is necessary to move it in order toproduce a hastening or slowing of the engines speed as theswitchboard-indica- IOO tors show to be required, the operator byactuating a switch or set of switches in the proper manner may cause themotor to move the said block in the desired direction.

For the purpose of illustration I ha ve shown only one sliding blockattached to a single engine and one switch on the switchboard foroperating it. In practice every engine may have such a sliding block andmay also have its properswitch for accomplishing the movement of theblock.

In the drawings, Figure l is a general perspective view showing astation-switchboard and two engines in a separate compartment operatingalternating-current generators, one of my sliding blocks being shown inconnection with one of the said engines only. Fig. 2 illustrates a sideelevation and, partly in section, the rocker-arm and sliding block,together with means for indicating when the block has reached one or theother of its eX- treme positions; and Fig. 3 is a perspective of thesaid rocker-arm and the sliding block, showing in addition thereto themeans I have devised for indicating the position of the block at anypoint of its travel.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A and B are engines operatingalternating-current generators C and D, respectively. The main shaft Eof the engine A carries an eccentric e, rotating within a ring oreccentric-strap F, to which a connecting-rod or eccentric-rod G isattached. The upper end of the eccentric-rod is formed into a yokef andthe opposite ends of the said yoke are pivoted to a sliding block H,which is adapted to slide back and forth within a slot or opening 7i inthe rocker-arm I. The exact formation of this sliding block and the modeof its connection with the rocker-arm are clearly illustrated in Fig.3,where the said block appears as of a T shape adapted to rest againstthe guides J J, formed on the side of the rocker-arm. To one side of thesliding block I is secured a bracket @which carries aninternally-threaded screw tube or nutj,adapt ed to engage withascrew-threaded rod or shaft K. The said rod orshaft is supported injour nals 7a k on one side of the rocker-arm, and carries at its innerend a gear-wheel 7c', which engages with a worm Zon the lower end of theshaft L. This last-named shaft may be operated by an electric motor M,suitably mounted on a bracket m on the rocker-arm. The connection of therocker-arm with the rockshaft and the control of the valve cnt-0E by thelatter are in no way dierent from what is ordinarily the construction inmodern steam-engines, and it is not necessary to give details of suchconnection and operation.

In Figs. l and 2 is shown asiX-point switch N, having the terminals `n n'n and ln. n n. By operating the switch to the right or left, as thecase may be, the motor M will rotate in one direction or the reverse andso move the sliding block as the operator desires. In the drawings theswitch-arms are shown in such position as to leave the switch open. Ifwe can assume that the movement of the upper ends of the switch-arms tothe left, bringing them into contact with the contact-tei minals n nu,will operate the motor M in such a direction as to move the slidingblock inward, then the reversal of the switch so as to bring the lowerarms thereof into contact with the terminals 'n' n n' will, through themedium of the motor M, move the sliding block outward. Th us theposition of the sliding block is under the certain control of theswitch-operator. If he finds that the engine is ruiming too fast, he cancause the sliding block to be moved farther-out, and so lessen thevalve-opening in a manner well understood. If it is running too slow, hecan reverse the operation.

Besides the switch devices I illustrate in Fig. 2 certain arrangementsand devices for indicating when the sliding block H has reached one ofits extreme positions within the slot H. For convenience I illustrate aconverter O with its primary connected to two of the bus-bars l 2 3 aand having its secondary circuits so connected up as to contain twoelectric lamps or other indicating devices o o' and two normallyclosedswitches s s'. Referring to the switch s at the right end of therocker-arm, it has two binding posts l) b', the former connected to thecon neeting tube or thimble i and to a conducting-collar c, securedwithin the end thereof, while the latter is joined by an insulated wire6 to a conducting-button CZ, having a non-conducting handle g. Theswitch s is exactly similar to the switch s in its general construction.Then the apparatus is in operation, it is my design to have t-he lamps oo burning. Then in case the sliding block II is moved to the right, soas to push against the handle g and move the button d away from thecollar c, the circuit of the lamp o will be broken and this lamp will beextinguished, whereby the switch-operator will be in formed that thesliding block has practically reached 'the limit of its movement. I-Iewill accordingly throw the switch N N N to open position, thus stoppingthe further movement of the sliding block. In case he has moved theblock too far he will reverse the switch and permit the motor to movethe sliding block backward to the extent desired.

In Fig. 3 I show the means whereby the actual position of the slidingblock can be determined within small limits. In this figure I have showna series of lamps 7, 8, 9,10, and 1l, each included in a branch of thesecondary circuit of the converter O. The other side spectively.

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figure the contact-piece 13 is in contact with the piece l5. Accordinglythe lain p lOis supposed tobeignited. Should the slidingblock movefarther outward, the lamp l would be entinguished and the lamps Q, S,and 7 would be successively ignited. With these lamp devices on hisswitchboard the switch-operator knows precisely where thesliding blockis on each of the rocker-arms, and he can control these blocksaccordingly. In Fig. l I have illustrated only the means for indicatingwhen the sliding block has reached approximately the limits of itsto-and-fro movement. The devices illustrated in Fig. 3 may besubstituted for this apparatus.

W W in Fig. l are two converters, each of which has its secondary incircuit with the same synchronizingdamp to. The primaries oit the saidconverters are connected with the main lead-wires from the alternators Cand D.

On the station-swiichlooard is a four-point switch for connecting thecircuits of the alternator C with the bus-bars, and on the saineswitchboard is a switch 2l, which performs the saine o'liice for thecircuits of the alternator D. It will be seen that the lastnanied switchis closed, the said alternator D being in operation and supplying thecircuits which lead from the hns-bars l, 2, 3, and l. In other words,the engine In is at Work and is d riring the alternator D. Should it nowbecome necessary to throw the alternator C into the circuit, theoperation of accomplishing this is as follows: The engine A is set inoperation and brought to the point where its speed :fiihiproximately thesaine as that of the engine il. By the use of the devices described inthe present specification Iam then able to bring the speed of the engineA to practically the exact speed of engine B in a very brief space oftime.

New in order to test the electrical conditions ot the circuit and toinsure that the current phases of the two generators shall be alikebefore the second alternator is thrown in I close the circuits oi thealternators C and D through the converters 'W and W, thus utilizing thelamp w as a synchronizing test in the usual manner. So long as thespeeds ot' the two alternators vary to an appreciable extent the currentphases also Vary and the lamp w tlickers rapidly; but as the speeds ofthe two driving-engines approximate each other more closely, at the sametime bringing the current phases more and more into unison, thedii-.kering will become slower and will gradually die down until thelamp indicates that the machines are remainingin the samefphase 'for asufficient period of time to make it possible to close the switch. Atthis moment theoperator throws the alternator C int-o circuit by meansot' th switch 20.

The new alternator having been thus thrown into circuit with one or moreothers, as described, synchronism is easily maintained and the load iskept properly divided by the opcrater at the switchboard, who byobserving the indications of' the various ammeters (shown at 29, 30, 3l,and 32, Fig. l) can tell which alternator is lagging or leading,whereupon he can taire the necessary steps for pu tting it in conditionto receive its share of the load, no more and no less. Ordinarily hewill bring up the engine which drives the lagging alternator to a littlehigher speed, although he may, ii the circumstances seem to call for it,reduce the speed of the engine driving the leading alternator. In eithercase he will accomplish what he wishes by properly shifting the positionof the sliding block in the rockerarm of the engine which drives one orth other of the said alternators.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a synchronizing system foralternating-current generators, two or more engines, and two or morealternators operated thereby, and adapted to he connected up inparallel, indicating devices in the circuits of the said alternators,and motors controlling the said engines and supplied with operatinglevers or switches, the said indicating devices and the said switchesbeing grouped together, whereby the operator who observes the electricalindications may also control the speed of the engines and so regulatethe operation of the generators.

2. In an al ternatin g-cnrrent system of electrical distribution, analternator and a steamengine operating the same, in combination with anelectric motor and a sliding block operated thereby for controlling thesaid engine, a converter whose primary is supplied by the saidalternator, and in the circuit of whose secondary is a pair oiindicators, such as electric lamps, together with push-buttons incircuit with the said indicators, and located in the path of movement ofthe said sliding block.

3. In a synchronizing system for alternating-current generators,-two ormore engines and two or more alternators operated thereby, each enginebeing provided with a suitable motor and with a lever of Variable lengthinterposed in the valve mechanism of the engine, the length of the saidlever determining the throw of the steam-valve, in combination withseparate controlling devices for the said motors, the said controllingdevices being grouped together. Y

4. In a synchronizing system for alternating-current generators, two ormore engines and two or more alternators operated thereby, each enginebeing provided with an electric motor and with a lever of variablelength interposed in the valve mechanism of the said engine, the lengthof the said lever determining the throw of the steam-valve, incombination with con trolling devices such as switches for the saidmotors, the said controlling devices being gronped together.

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fj; uvofxmo 5. In a synchronizing system for iternzttin Combination withswitches for the Said mo- Io ing-current generators, tWo or more enginestor, the said switches being grouped together. and two or morealternators operated thereby, Signed by lne at 10S Fulton Street,borough each engine being provided with a suitable ot' Manhattan, NewYork city, State of New 5 motor mid with an eccentric on the main shaft,York, this 6th day of May, 1899.

and a connecting-rod joined to a sliding;` block HERBERT V. YORK. Withinthe rocker-arm upon the rock-shaft Yitnesses: controlling the ent-off,the said sliding block i FRANCIS H. WALL, being operated by aswitch-Controlled motor JAS. G. LYNCH.

